COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Lincoln softball team celebrated its Senior Day on Sunday (April 10), honoring Alex Miller and Jordan Hollon in a special postgame ceremony. The second game of the double-header was a thrilling one, with Newman using a late rally to slip past Lincoln, 5-4. Newman also won the opener, 4-0.

In the second, Newman (13-21, 5-9 MIAA) hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning for the early lead. LU's two seniors helped turn the tide in the second frame, however, as Miller hit a lead-off single before Hollon gave the Blue Tigers the lead with a home run over the left field fence. Chloe Olson followed with a base hit, but ended up stranded on the base path.

Lincoln (11-26, 0-18 MIAA) maintained the lead until the top of the fourth, when Newman hit another solo home run to knot the score at 2-2. It didn't take the Blue Tigers long to take back the advantage, however, as Olson reached via a walk in the bottom of the fourth, and Emily Williams hit a home run to make the score 4-2 in favor of LU.

The score stayed that way until the top of the seventh, when Newman mounted its comeback. The first three batters of the inning had hits, and a sacrifice fly tied the score at 4-4. A base hit drove in another run, and LU entered the bottom of the seventh needing a score to force extra innings.

The Blue Tigers nearly made it happen. Jacqueline Marquez hit a single, and Emma Rakes reached on a walk. A passed ball allowed Lincoln to advance its runners to second and third with just one out on the board. A strikeout and a flyout, however, allowed the Jets to escape Columbia with the victory.

Eight different Blue Tigers had a hit, including Leslie Callahan and Kori Bullard. Jordan Galliher pitched the complete game and struck out six Newman batters. Olson led the defense with nine putouts and Marquez was responsible for seven. Callahan turned six assists.

In the opener, Lincoln played defense very well for most of the contest, forcing Newman to go three-up, three-down on three occasions. The Blue Tigers played six innings of shutout softball. The lone exception was the second frame, when four hits and an error allowed the Jets to produce the only four runs of the ballgame.

The Blue Tigers had their chances, including in the third inning, when Marquez and Rakes led the inning off with base hits. In the bottom of the fifth, Callahan singled through the left side, and Alivia Rymer hit a double to give Lincoln a pair of runners in scoring position. Throughout the game, however, LU ended up having seven runners stranded on base.

Williams also had a hit in the opener, and Aidan Dayberry notched two strikeouts in a complete-game effort in the circle. Olson finished with a team-high 10 putouts, and Callahan and Hollon each had a trio of assists.

Lincoln will be on  the road for its next eight games, beginning on Wednesday (April 13) with a visit to Liberty, Mo. to play William Jewell in a 2:00 p.m. CDT twinbill.